THE SIMPLE TRUTH

WORSHIP LESSON 8

Parson Note: Let me take a slight detour today from our study of acceptable worship to respond to a faithful reader as well as express some personal feelings about our efforts. I believe it is worth our time.

A reader recently said: "I studied what you are writing about the worship of the church and it is what the Bible teaches. The assembly on the Lord's Day is just for Christians. Everything we are commanded to do is for children of God. Even when I read the scriptures about singing it plainly says who is to sing and who is sung to. It seems so simple I don't know why I didn't see it before. I wish I was as smart as you are so I could learn things like this for myself." I thank you for your kind words but I must disagree with you on one point. I do not consider myself a smart person. In fact I do not have a degree in Bible from anywhere. I guess that is why the nickname that I was given so many years ago fits so well, The Parson. I am just a person so I often question whether or not I am teaching the truth because it seems so simple. I often wonder why the editors of brotherhood papers or preachers with degrees in the Bible and Biblical languages do not teach it. I often feel that I must be wrong because if it were the truth then these men who are better educated than I would have seen the truth and taught it to me.

As an example there is what I have written about the subject of denominationalism. Every preacher I have heard says that the Church of Christ is not a denomination because "our name is in the Bible and we don't have a creed." Yet our neighbors all say the Church of Christ is a denomination just as their church is. Not being well educated the first thing I did when I began to study the subject was to see how the dictionary defined the word. It said, "A class of persons distinguished by a specific name." It seemed so simple and the dictionary said nothing about where the name came from or what they believe in. As we know if people can make up their own definitions they can prove anything. The dictionary says that when my brethren who do not use instrumental music picked the name Church of Christ to distinguish themselves from those who did use it they started a denomination! Also if the Baptist and Methodist are wrong because they have a date when their denominations started then the Church of Christ is wrong because God's children never used that name to the exclusion of the other scriptural names until 1906. Therefore the denomination called the Church of Christ started in 1906. The only conclusion I could reach is that to be non-denominational they will have to stop using Church of Christ as their specific and exclusive name. It was so simple that I worried that I must be wrong because others don't preach it.

Then I remembered the words of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth, "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" When I read his entire lesson it explained why those with their preaching degrees often overlook truths, which my mother said, "are as plain as the nose on your face".

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. "For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on man's wisdom, but on God's power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

(1 Cor. 1:18 - 2:10)

I make no apology for having you read this passage from the Word of God because I now realize that I didn't begin to appreciate and understand the simple truths of God's revelation until 1981 when I sold my religious library of over 2000 volumes. That day having only a Cruden's Concordance, Vine's Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words and my Bible I started a new journey. It has taken me to places I didn't know existed, to knowledge revealed by the Father but hidden because of the wisdom of men. Now even the "deep things of God" are available to me because I accept that "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us." (1 Cor. 2:10-16)

While the things we have learned about subjects like denominationalism and worship are first principles here are three easy steps if you desire to understand the "deep things of God" which Paul said is a "message of wisdom among the mature." First you must read (Eph. 3:4) then you must study (2 Tim. 2:15) and last you must meditate (Psalms 1:2) to allow God's word to become part of your inner man. Proof text study, which is to search for the passages that prove what you already believe, will not help. Your Bible study must be a search for the truth without concern for where it may lead. Your heart must be open so when God reveals you will be receptive. This is not hard to do if you have the right attitude. For example: Who is to assemble on the first day of the week? Just study Acts 20:7 and Heb. 10:25 and you will find out. But if you continue to use these passages only to prove that worship is on Sunday and Christians should not willfully absent themselves you will never learn anything else. You too can find these beautiful truths become simple if you will only open God' s word and let God speak to you.

Dear God I pray that we all will study the Bible for ourselves and not blindly follow others. I pray you will help us to open our hearts to your simple truths. Father, bless our study and application of your word. Amen.

To be continued.

The Parson